Out of the Shadows Read Online Free PDF

sensed a pronounced wariness in him, too. And she knew that the young woman was vulnerable. Indeed, she appeared emotionally fragile, and she certainly didn’t seem prepared to handle a relationship with a man like Ben.
    Mama Joe watched the pair and recognized curiosity mixed with animosity. Close proximity to each other for the next six months could be extremely painful, maybe even devastating, for both. She began to silently pray.
    She was still praying when the Cessna landed an hour later.

CHAPTER THREE
    N AMANGA ’ S AIRPORT CONSISTED of a single narrow grass landing strip. Leslie noticed a sheet-metal shed that held tanks for aviation fuel along with a small office and a dilapidated hangar for the Cessna. Two planes rested alongside the hangar, but as far as she could tell, they were long past airworthiness. The lone man on duty waved to Ben while approaching the plane as it taxied toward the hangar.
    Mama Joe indicated the smallish, middle-aged man. “That’s Charles Endebbi. He and his son manage the airstrip and do some mechanic work. Ben’s plane is the only one based here, but quite a few tour operators use the field because it’s close to several national parks.”
    As Ben cut the Cessna’s engine, a Jeep approached, driven by a sturdy man of indeterminate age. “There’s Titus,” Mama Joe said as she waved to the newcomer. “He’s been my driver for more than a decade.”
    A considerable amount of gray was scattered through his short black hair, but Titus’s dark face was smooth and youthful. He helped both women from the plane. As they were introduced, he gave Leslie a nodding bow and welcoming smile.
    Mama Joe turned to Ben, who had been giving instructions to Mr. Endebbi. “Thanks again for the ride, Ben. Are you sure we can’t take you home?”
    “No, thanks. I’ve radioed Simon. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”
    Although they had barely spoken, Leslie was anxious to be free of the playboy pilot. However, she followed Mama Joe’s example and held out her hand. “Thank you for picking me up.”
    Ben accepted her hand but dropped it quickly. “No problem.” His eyes were focused on her left shoulder. After the terse response, he turned away to help Titus with the luggage.
    They drove from the airport in the aging Jeep that Mama Joe laughingly assured Leslie was more reliable than it looked. “We’ve had this old Jeep longer than I want to admit. It hasn’t let us down yet, and Titus keeps it running like a clock.”
    The terrain around them contrasted starkly with Nairobi. The Jeep bumped and jolted on an unpaved road through a vast savanna. The land was dry and dusty and vegetation consisted primarily of tall brown grass and stunted thornbushes. She recognized flat-topped acacia trees and bottle-shaped baobab trees from the books she had read to prepare for her journey. Some of her earlier unease returned as she studied the surroundings, and she fleetingly wondered if it was too late to go back.
    Mama Joe interrupted her brief moment of panic. “We’re only about twelve miles from the landing strip,” she said over the rumble of the Jeep. “We should be at the clinic in about twenty minutes. It’s located a few miles from town, which is a relatively short walk by Kenyan standards.”
    They saw no other vehicles, though occasionally they passed locals walking or jogging along the road. The women were conservatively dressed in bright-colored kangas, and most had two or three children in tow. The men wore long, Bermuda-type shorts or khaki slacks and T-shirts. Most wore shoes or leather sandals, but a few were barefoot. Whenever they met someone, without exception, the local people smiled and waved to Mama Joe and Titus.
    Dusk was fast approaching when they arrived at the clinic complex and Leslie got her first look at her home for the next six months. She was encouraged and relieved as she examined the fairly large compound in the waning light. There were two main buildings